Electrolytic cell



MaLch 4 1924.

A. E. KNOWLE-S BLECTROLYATIC CELL Filed July 13 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 q A U\ Gas bllecmg Pipe IASSAG ELECTROLYT 1.o CELL Filed July 13'v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 N ,m cw m 7 7e f u w l 0 y I 0 0 70 n /i/M ,m im y 7. ----...Llil f 7. 7 7@ i.. M V be Z n T PT ,c LMI. xlxllalllwll l,| l x x IITLME l||l..... lv -Illz -llldillTrrlTlllIllllill lll.. IL 1 4 n. 6

A. E. KNowLr-:s

ELECTROLYTIG CELL 4 Sheets-Shet 5 Filed July 15, ).922

FlagsA EHI d .f t,

l'Fw-4 iff@ March 4 1924.

March 4 192% 1,485,461

A. E. KNOWLES ELECTROLYTIC CELL Filed July 1s, 192,2 4 sheets-sheet 4 Say, nine 0r fifteen tiers of cells.

Patented Mar; 4, .1.924.

STAT

ALBERT wenn xNowLEs,

or Huswnnn, ENGLAND.

ELnc'rnoLYTIc CELL.

Application mea :any ia,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known Athat I, ALBERT EDGAR KNowLss, subject of the King of Great Britain, of Denecourt, Gldield Drive, Hes-y wall, Cheshire, England, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Electrolytic Cells, of which the following is a specification. s A

This 'invention' relates to improvements in electrolytic cells and refers particularly to electrolytic cells adapted for use in the commercial production of oxygen and hydrogen by the electrolysis of water.

In the ordinary form of cell employed for this process it is found uneconomica to employ electrodes of depth greater than a certain definite limit, as, where very long electrodes are employed, the gases generated on the lower portions of the electrodes and passing up over the surface of the plates reduce the conductivity of the electrolyte to such an extent that the upper parts of thev electrodes do no useful work. n

As the depth of the cells is limited it follows thatA in large plants the number of cells which must be employedwill occupy a very considerable floor space and will involve heavy expenses in accommodation and in the necessary electric Wiring and connections which must be of heavy construction to carry the heavy current required.

The object of my invention is to provide y an improved form of electrolytic cell which is extremely compact and occupies a mini'- mum amount of floor space; Further advantages of'my improved cell are that a very even distribution of the current through the electrodes is obtained, resulting -in high eiliciency of the plant and pure products, while the number of electrical connections and leads necessary for a battery of cells is very materially reduced.

My invention essentially comprises an improved electrolytic cell in which a series of cells are superimposed, the electrodes of similar polarity in one'cell being secured to, or formed integral with, the bottom plate of the cell above, which has secured to it, or made integral with it, the electrodes of opposite polarity for the upper cell, and so on throughout the series which may extend to,

For example, the negative electrodes of thelowermost cell or tier of a vertical series may be formed as plates depending from1 and in- 1922. Serial No. 574,639.

tegral with the horizontal partition which forms the bottom of the second cell. This parution hasI a further series of parallel plates extending upwards from it and formmlglthe positive electrodes for the second ce lThe negative electrodes `for the second cell .are formed by parallel plates depending fromrthe partition forming the bottomof the third celland alternating with the positive plates.

rectly vfrom `each cell to the cell above with ,out any extraneous leads o r connections, the .polarity being reversed as 1t passes from one cell to the next, and the only electrical con nections required areto the bottom of the lowermost cell and to the cover of the upper cell of a vertical series.

A If desired, the upper cell' of# each of 'a succession or row of vertical series may be of a of the upper cell o the next series, so that The current thus passes di?` groups orV polarityopposite to that the current may be led directly from each-- upper` cell to the adjacent one. By this construction the leads are reduced to a minimum, since, apart fronrfthe connections to the first and last cells of a row or succession, the Aonly connections required are between the top-cells and bottom cells alternately of adjacent vertical groups or series,

A. preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in in whichg Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of .one vertical series or group of cells.

Figure 2, is a vertical section on the line 2-'-"2 of Fig. l. e 'Figure 3, isa horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4f, is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the lower part of one cell showing different methods of insulating the depending electrodes from the bottom plate of the cell. y

' Figure 5, is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified construction in which the upwardly extending electrodes the accompanying drawings are not carried outfv'vytrds'to meet/the side vwalls of the cell.

Figure 6, isa diagrammatic vertical section similar to F ig. 2 but showing a furtherv modification in which the-upwardly extending electrodes are connected to the side walls of the cell by spaced webs.

Similar let-ters refer to similar parte throughout the drawings.

Each vertical series or group of cells consists of a series of superimposed cells a,

I), c, of box or tank form, any suitable means being provided for feeding electrolyte to the cells.

The bottom plate of the lower cell o is provided with feet or flanges by which the tier is supported upon lsuitably insulated blocks d, and a series of downwardly projecting parallel ribs e provide t-he connec tions for the electric current which is led thereto by copper bars or strips f bolted to the ribs c. l i

Parallel electrode plates g which preferably decrease in thickness towards their upper ends vproject, upwards from the bottom plate inside the cell and virtually divide the cell into a number of small narrow cells,y each of which is supplied with current through one of the ribs e.

The upper' closure for the cell cis formed by the base of lthe next cell Zi above, from `which depend electrode plates L similar to and alternating with the electrodes g, the

plates z extending to within a short distance of the bottom of the cell c. A further series of parallel plates y extend upwards from the base of' the cell b and alternate with electrode plates 7c depending fron the base of the next cell above.

Each cell in the series'is formed in a i similar manner until the topmost cella is reached, the cover for this cell having,` de

pending electrode plates Z and external par-A allel ribs m to which copper current leads are bolte'fd as described in connection with the lowerribs e. The method of Separating the gases generated in the cells is exactly similar in each cell, and may be described with reference to the lowerniost cell c.

A horizontal partition member or diaphragm n, insulated from the cell above and below, arranged a short distance below the bottom of the cell o, and has a series ofggiependiug tubular flanges o around slots oraperturesthrough which the depending electrodes 7i pass. vThe lianges o support porous depending diaphragms or sleeves p of asbestos, gauze, or the like which surround the electrodes 7L and separa-te the generated thereon from the gas generated on and rising from the electrodes g.

'. .The gas generated'v -onwthe electrodes` k passes upwards through v thev partition .'or

'diaphragm n into the space between the "partition and thebase of the4 cel b, and

-only be of short/length as from this space the gas 'is led away into a vert-ical collecting pipe g connected by a. union to a socket r cast or otherwise formed at the upper end of the cell.

The gas generated on the electrodes g is prevented by the diaphragms or sleeves p from passing through the apertures in the partition n and collects below the artition from which it is led into a secon' lcollecting pipe s. The collecting pipes g and a receive the gas from the corresponding electrodes of all the cells in a vertical series or group, the pi es being divided into lengths insulated from each other between the respective cells by inserting a short length of piping t of insulating material such as glass. As the pipes are only subjected to the di'erence of potential between two adi acent cells the insulating pipinv need shown in ilig. 1.

further length of insulating pi ying u is provided between the vertical pipes g and s and the unions by which they are connected to the main gas collecting pipes 11, r@which receive the gases from a row or series of tiers or groups of cells.

If the lower `edges of the electrode plates It are spaced suicientlyfar from the bottom of the cell, insulation between vthe electrode and the bottom of the cell fis not essential, but if desired-insulation may he provided in any of the methods illustrated in Fig. 4 I,

At is shown a'dished layer of insulating material lying'upon the bottom of the cell and extending'for.'a short distance u the sides, while at 1/ is shown a flat strip of insuiatin material lying upon the; bottom of the cel only.

In the other modifications-shown e and 2 are metallic guard members supported upon narrow strips of` insulation 3.

As VaI further modification the insulation maybe dispensed with, and the diaphragme or ysleeves p may be closed or nearly closed below the lower ends of the electrodes zf.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. l, 2, and 3, the electrode plates g which project upwards from the bottom of each cell are shown extending to the sides of the tank or cell so that the cell isdivided into a number of smaller narrow cells as illustrated in F ig. 3. .This construction provides an extremely strong celi, but suEers from the disadvantage that the electrolyte must be fed separately to each of these smaller cells and that it is ditvicultto ensure that the electrolyte is at the h. This copstruction is not so strong as the' construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,

but aliows a free circulation ofthe electrolyte inseam which can be fed in from one point for the whole cell. It is obvious that instead oi completely separating these electrodes romthe sides they may be joined thereto at intervals by webs 4, as shown in sectional'elevation in 6, thus giving structural strength without impeding the circulation of electrolyte through the whole chamber.

claim:

l. An electrolytic plant for the production of oxygen and hydrogen by the electrolysis of water, comprising a group of superimposed cells, partitions between adjacent cells, electrodes extending upwardly from each of the said partitions into the cell above. electrodes depending from each of the said partitions into the cell below, and current leads to the upper closure of the topmost cell and to the bottom of the lowermost cell of the roue.

g 2. An electrolytic plant for the production o oxygen and hydrogen by the electrolysis of water, comprising a group of superimposed cells, a current lead to the upper closure of the topmost cell, electrode plates depending from the said upper closure and alternating with electrode plates extending upwardly from the partition between the topmost cell and the next cell below, elec trode plates depending from the said partition and alternating with electrode plates extending upwardly from the partition between the said cell andthe next cell below, and a current lead to the bottom o the lowermost cell of the group.

3. An 4electrolytic plant for the production of oxygen and hydrogen by the electrolysis oi water, comprising a group o'superimposed cells, current leads to the upper clesure of the topxnost cell and to the bottom of the lowermost cell of the group, partitions between adjacent cells, electrode plates dependingl from each of the said partitions into the cell below and electrode plates extending upwardly from each of the said partitions.

into the cell above and alternating with thedepending electrode lates, the said upwardly extending electro e plates being extended to meet the side wall of the cell and being A formed integral therewith.

,4. An electrolytic plant for the production of oxygen and hydrogen by the elec trolysis of water, comprising a group of superimposed cells, current leads to the upper closure of the topmost cell and to the bottom of the lowermost cell of the group, partitions between adjacent cells, electrodes extending upwardly from each of the said par-v titions into the cell above, electrodes depending from each of the said .partitions into the cell below and alternating with the upwardly extending electrodes, a perforated horizontal partition near through which (partition the depending electrodes pass, an y sleeves carried by the said perforated partition surrounding the de` pending electrodes to separate the gas generated on these electrodes from the gas generated on the alternating upwardly extendn ing electrodes. i

5; An electrolytic plant for the production the upper end of each cell of oxygen and hydrogen by the electrolysis of water, comprising a group of superimposed cells, current leads to the upper closure of the topmost cell and to the bottom of the lowermost cell of the grou partitions between adjacent cells, electro es extending upwardly from each of the said partitions into the cell above, electrodes depending from each of the said partitions into the cell below and alternating with the upwardly extending electrodes, a perforated horizontal partition near the upper end of each cell through which partition the depending electrodes pass, sleeves carried'by the said perforated partition and surrounding the depending electrodes to separate the gas generated the alternating upwardly extending electrodes, andl collecting pipes to receive the gases generated on the two sets of electrodes in each cell, the ipes being divided into sections correspon ing to each cell and each section being insulated from the next.

'zel

thereon from the gas generated on.

In testimony whereof I alx my signature.

ALBERT EDGAR KNOWLES. 

